Here's How MeUndies' Made Underwear Fun with an Inclusive Customer Experience Strategy

One of the best things about innovative companies is the way they can often take a marketplace which the public might think has been done to death, and has nothing unique or new to offer, and manage to do something different with it.

Millennial entrepreneur, Jonathan Shokrian was inspired to create lifestyle brand and underwear retailer MeUndies while out shopping for underwear himself. Shokrian decided there was no need for underwear shopping to be so expensive and unrewarding, and created his own brand of comfortable and sustainably produced items - all sold with a simple, yet fun and quirky customer experience in mind.

"Before launching MeUndies, I was working in commercial real estate and traveling a lot, said Shokrian. "I didn't have enough underwear for a trip I was going on, so I went to the department store to pick up a few pairs, but the whole shopping experience was uncomfortable and inconvenient. I was overpaying for what was deemed "premium" underwear that wasn't even comfortable. The a-ha moment for MeUndies came when I realized this disconnect with brand and product and saw the opportunity to provide men and women with a transparently made, better quality product, sold conveniently".

And so, at the age of 25, Shokrian scraped together $400,000 and started MeUndies in 2011. On track to sell five million units before the end of 2017, MeUndies has gone from strength to strength.

An Inclusive Customer Experience

MeUndies fantastic customer experience ethos is apparent from the moment someone visits the company's website. With a cool and quirky style, the MeUndies homepage features models of various shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and genders - ensuring no customer need feel like these items are not made for them.

"Since launching MeUndies nearly five years ago," says Shokrian, "Our commitment to providing a best in class product with a world class e-commerce experience has remained the same. We've shipped nearly 3 million pairs of undies, and we're constantly looking for new ways to exceed our customers' expectations."

This commitment to ensuring no customer feels excluded, as well as creating fun experiences which will resonate with their audience, even lead MeUndies to create an advert featuring celebrities from the world of electronic sports. World famous League of Legends team, Immortals, feature in a funny and wonderfully retro-styled advert where they compare the quest for the perfect pair of underwear to the search for true love.

The message is clear - whether you're curvy or slim, black or white, geeky or sporty, male or female, the MeUndies customer experience is for you.

Subscribe to Superb Customer Experience

Roughly 25% of MeUndies' business comes from customers who have signed up to its convenient subscription model. Customers choose one of three plans, each offering a different style - adventurous, bold, or classic - and receive a new pair every month. The intrinsic rewards evident in monthly underwear deliveries aside, subscription customers also save up to 33% on list prices.

"The subscription model works really well for underwear because people tend to have more underwear than any other article of clothing. It's something that we replenish frequently, though many of us avoid this due to the unenjoyable shopping experience. We also found that people didn't have a strong brand affinity with any underwear brands and saw a huge opportunity for disruption," says Shokrian.

Not only does MeUndies' subscription service take the heavy lifting out of underwear shopping for their customers, it also helps foster brand loyalty for the company - a win-win. Most important is the simplicity and clarity under which the subscription service operates.

"Transparency with our program has been the key to our success. Our messaging is upfront and clear and there are no confusing terms or contracts. We've made an opt-in program that allows customers the flexibility to skip, cancel, or change their plan directly online - no gimmicks."

With many subscription services containing complex terms and conditions which can lock customers into sometimes unwanted packages, MeUndies makes it incredibly simple for customers to sign-up and sign-out, providing a unique customer experience on all fronts.

Knickers to Poor Experience

Like many millennial startups, MeUndies has managed to take something very ordinary and mundane - shopping for underwear - and transform it into an extraordinary customer experience. With no signs of losing its momentum anytime soon, the future is looking bright for MeUndies.

"Throughout this entire process, I've learned the importance of humility and to never become complacent. It's important to maintain a level head, put your business and customers first, and leave your ego at the door."

You can hear MeUndies' Head of Customer Experience TJ Stein speak at NGCX 2018, at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in March.